Adjustable Wall Mounted Walkway with Optional Handrail Attachment

ABSTRACT

A safety parapet system for securement to the wall surfaces of building structures and which can be disposed on uneven ground that may surround the building structures includes at least two stanchions located adjacent the wall structure with each stanchion capable of receiving a drop-in safety rail post that is telescopically adjustable along the length of the stanchion for locking into place with the safety rail posts being independently adjustable on the stanchions so that a walkway can be supported in a horizontal disposition on laterally extending members of each safety rail post whether the safety parapet system is disposed on level or uneven ground. An optional handrail can be mounted to the safety rail posts for use if the worker is located six feet or more above the ground surface.

The present invention pertains to worker safety and fall protectionsystems, and more particularly pertains to a wall-mounted walkway thatis adjustable for set-up on uneven ground surrounding residential andcommercial construction sites.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is widely known that in the building and construction industry in theUnited States, falls are the leading cause of worker fatalities. Onaverage each year between 150 and 200 workers are killed, and astaggering number of more than 100,000 workers are injured as a resultof falls occurring at such building and construction sites. OSHA, thefederal government agency that oversees labor and industry standards,has come to recognize that accidents are generally complex events thatcommonly involve a variety of factors. As a consequence, the standardfor fall protection deals with both the human and equipment-relatedcomponents in designing and implementing standards for protectingworkers from fall hazards.

For example, in order to insure the protection of workers it isrecommended that both employers and employees implement the followingsteps or procedures: 1.) where protection is required, select fallprotection systems appropriate for that situation; 2.) use properconstruction and installation of safety systems; 3.) supervise employeesproperly; 4.) use safe work procedures; and 5.) train workers in theproper selection, use, and maintenance of fall protection systems.

More importantly, OSHA has developed specific rules, procedures andsystems designed to prevent workers from falling off, onto or throughworking levels, and to protect workers from being struck by fallingobjects. These performance-oriented requirements facilitate the abilityof employers to provide the mandated protection. The systems andprocedures cover most construction workers except those inspecting,investigating, or assessing workplace conditions prior to the actualstart of work or after all work has been completed. Areas or activitieswhere fall protection is needed include ramps, runways and otherwalkways, excavations, hoist areas, holes, formwork and reinforcingsteel, leading edge work, unprotected sides and edges, overhandbricklaying and related work, roofing work, precast concrete erection,wall openings, residential construction and other walking/workingsurfaces. In addition, in order to provide uniform consistentprotection, fall protection equipment is required when the worker isdisposed at the threshold height of six feet or 1.8 meters. This meansthat building and construction employers must protect their employeesfrom fall hazards and falling objects whenever the affected employee islocated six feet (1.8 meters) or more above a lower level. Protectionalso must be provided for construction workers that are exposed to thehazard of falling into dangerous equipment.

Under the above rules, systems and procedures employers are able toselect fall protection measures and equipment that are compatible withthe type of work being performed and the particular work site. Thus,fall protection systems and equipment can be provided through the use ofguardrail systems, safety net systems, personal fall arrest systems,positioning device systems, and warning line systems. While theaforementioned systems cover many situations, one critical problem isthe current non-availability of any type of parapet-type safety and fallprotection system that can be easily set up and attached to the wallsurfaces of home or building structures that may be surrounded by unevenor un-level ground, especially uneven ground surrounding the eaves ofthe structure. It is often the case that a walkway is constructed on thesite by carpenters using 2×4's and 2×6's that in many cases is thebuilding material that should be used in the home construction, but isinstead diverted to construct a hand-built, makeshift walkway prone tofailure and accidents. Thus, the prior art discloses a variety ofguardrail and safety systems.

For example, the Bourn et al. patent (U.S. Pat. No. 3,480,257) disclosesa guardrail stanchion that includes a clamping member for clamping ontothe floor, an upright member for supporting handrails, and a horizontalsupport member for interconnecting the upright member to the clampingmember. The Bourn device is for exclusive use at the open edge of afloor section of a building structure.

The Warren patent (U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,898) discloses a temporaryguardrail post that attaches to a concrete slab and which includes atleast two posts with each post having an upper bracket for supporting ahandrail, a bottom bracket for resting on the slab, and a movable jawfor clamping against the under surface of the slab. The Warren patent isexclusively designed for attachment to the floor perimeter of amulti-storied structure.

The Kettelkamp, Sr. et al. patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,131) discloses anadjustable guardrail for use on flat or pitched roofs that includes anupright post member to which a plurality of guardrail receiving membersare mounted. A strut extends laterally from the bottom of the postmember, and the strut supports a clamping member for clamping onto therafter.

The Myers patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,586) discloses a safety guardapparatus for use on a pitched roof, and which includes support membersinterconnected to each other and disposed at various angles with atleast one support member vertically extending for supporting a handrail.

The Flynn patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,549) discloses a walkway systemfor attachment to a building wall, and includes at least two supportbars that support a horizontal brace for a walkway and a plurality ofbrackets that hook over the wall for attaching the walking system to thewall. The Flynn walkway cannot be directly mounted to the wall of thestructure by must be hooked onto the upper edge of the building wall.

The Palmer patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,150) discloses a guardrailscaffold assembly for attachment to an aboveground structure andincludes at least two post members for supporting the scaffold with eachpost member having a base member for releasable connection to theaboveground structure. The Palmer device is unable to attach to the wallof the structure due to the configuration of the base member.

Despite the ingenuity of the above systems and devices there remains aneed for a safe, reliable adjustable walkway that can be directlymounted to the wall surface of a structure and can also accommodate theuneven ground adjacent the structure so that the walkway is disposed ina level and safe manner for use by the workers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprehends a safety parapet system, and moreparticularly comprehends a wall-mounted walkway having an optionalhandrail attachment, and which is adjustable for accommodation and setupon uneven ground surrounding the eaves of a residential or commercialbuilding structure.

The safety parapet system includes at least two walkway stanchions forsecurement against the wall of the building structure. Each stanchionincludes a foot for disposition upon the ground surface, and a pluralityof through holes spaced along the vertical length of the walkwaystanchion. Slidably insertable on each stanchion is a triangular-shapedsafety rail post. Each safety rail post is independently telescopicallyadjustable on each stanchion to compensate for the uneven ground and forlocating each safety rail post at the same vertical position so that alevel support surface can be provided for the workman. Once theappropriate position for each safety rail post is found, a locking pinis inserted through the safety rail post and the stanchion therebylocking the safety rail post in place on the stanchion. Each safety railpost includes at least one horizontally extending brace or support thatis placed flush against the wall surface so that fasteners can beinserted through the brace and into the structures metal or wood studsthus fixing the stanchion in position against the wall of the buildingstructure. Each safety rail post includes laterally extending membersthat support a walkway whereon the workman can stand. A receiving collaror end socket interconnects the laterally extending members, and ahandrail upright can be placed in each end socket for supporting ahandrail as an optional and additional safety feature should the workerbe six feet or more above the ground.

It is an objective of the present invention to provide a wall-mountedsafety parapet system that is adjustable so that the safety parapetsystem can be disposed on uneven ground surrounding the walls ofcommercial or residential building structures.

It is another objective of the present invention to provide awall-mounted safety parapet system that includes an optional handrailattachment for use if the position or height of the worker exceeds sixfeet above the ground surface.

It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide awall-mounted safety parapet system that gives the worker a costeffective and simple way to prevent falls.

It is still yet another objective of the present invention to provide awall-mounted safety parapet system that can be easily set up and brokendown by one worker in several minutes.

Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide awall-mounted safety parapet system that is lightweight and portable forset-up and use at different construction sites.

Yet still another objective of the present invention is to provide awall-mounted safety parapet system that can support up to 550 pounds andmeets all current OSHA safety regulations.

These and other objects, features and advantages will become apparent toone skilled in the art upon a perusal of the following detaileddescription read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the wall-mounted safety parapet systemof the present invention illustrating the disposition of the safetyparapet system against the wall surface of a building structure with thehandrail attachment;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the wall-mounted safety parapet systemof the present invention illustrating, in partially exploded view, theassembly of the safety parapet system by the slidable disposition of thesafety rail post on one stanchion and the alignment of the walkway withthe safety rail posts prior to the placement of the walkway thereon;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the wall-mounted safety parapetsystem of the present invention illustrating the disposition of thesafety parapet system on level ground adjacent the wall of the buildingstructure;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the wall-mounted safety parapetsystem of the present invention illustrating the disposition of thesafety parapet system against the wall surface of the building structurewith the handrail attachment mounted thereto; and

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the wall-mounted safety parapetsystem of the present invention illustrating the disposition of thesafety parapet system on uneven ground surrounding the buildingstructure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 is a safety parapet system 10 for use byworkers at various residential and commercial building and constructionsites. The safety parapet system 10 can be used on both even and uneventerrain surrounding and adjacent to the building structure 12, andincludes features that accommodate and compensate for any uneven groundso that the worker is always supported in a stable horizontal manner onthe safety parapet system 10. The safety parapet system 10 of thepresent invention is a lightweight, portable system that can supportapproximately 550 pounds and can be set-up, broken down and moved aboutthat construction site, or transported to a different construction site,by one individual. More specifically, the safety parapet system 10 isplaced against the wall surface 14 of the building structure 12 and issecured to the wooden or metal studs 16 of the structure 12 as shown inFIG. 5.

As shown in FIGS. 1-5, the safety parapet system 10 of the presentinvention includes a pair of elongated supports or stanchions 18 thatare placed adjacent to the wall surface 14 of the building structure 12.The stanchion 18 is preferably manufactured from square metal tubing andincludes a plurality of through holes 20 spaced along its length. Eachstanchion 18 includes a foot 22 to assure that the stanchion 18 isstably placed on the ground surface such as the level ground 24 of FIGS.1-4. While two stanchions 18 are shown in FIG. 1, it possible that anumber of stanchions 18 can be placed along the length of the wall 14 ofthe building structure 12 to accommodate more than one worker and tocover a particularly long wall of a building structure. The stanchion 18can vary in length, but should be of sufficient length to permittelescopic adjustment of at least between four and 20 feet as will behereinafter further described.

As shown in FIGS. 1-5, the safety parapet system 10 also includes atleast two triangular-shaped safety rail posts 26 with each safety railpost 26 capable of slidable, telescopic movement for positioning andrepositioning on each respective stanchion 18 in order to determine andset the proper height desired by the worker. Each safety rail post 26 isindependently telescopically adjustable on each stanchion 18 and cangenerally slide up and down along the entire vertical length of thestanchion 18. Each safety rail post 26 includes a generallytubular-shaped vertical member 28 having a channel 30 extending throughthe vertical member 28 so that the stanchion 18 can extend through thechannel 30, as shown in FIGS. 1-5, when the safety parapet system 10 isdisposed for use against the wall surface 14 of the building structure12. Each safety rail post 26 also includes an angled member 32 and ahorizontal member 34, both of which laterally extend from the verticalmember 28 and away from the wall surface 14 when the safety parapetsystem 10 is set up for use. The lateral extension of the horizontalmember 34 is at least 26 inches from the vertical member 28. The distalends of the angled member 32 and the horizontal member 34 areinterconnected by a square-shaped receiving collar or end socket 36. Thevertical member 28 includes at least one pair of aligned apertures 38 atthe lower end of the vertical member 28. These apertures 38 are alignedwith the through holes 20 of the stanchion 18 so that a locking pin 40can be inserted through the vertical member 28 and the stanchion 18thereby locking the safety rail post 26 at the desired height. As shownin FIG. 1, both safety rail posts 26 would be locked in position at thesame level to insure that the worker is supported in a stable,horizontal manner on the safety parapet system 10.

As shown in FIGS. 1-5, each safety rail post 26 includes at least twowall supporting crosspieces, and more specifically, mounted to thevertical member 28 and extending transverse thereto, is an uppercrosspiece or brace 42 and a lower crosspiece or brace 44. Both braces42 and 44 are channel-shaped and at least the upper brace 42 includesfastener or screw holes 46 spaced along the length of the brace 42 forinsertion therethrough of a screw 48, preferably a three inch screw, forsecuring the stanchion 18 to the wooden or metal stud 16 of the wall 14as shown in FIG. 4. In the preferred embodiment two screws 48 are usedto mount the stanchion 18 to the stud 16, but more than two screws 48could be used if additional securement was desired and the spacing ofthe studs 16 could accommodate the additional screws 48. It should benoted, as shown in FIG. 4, that the stanchion 18 is not contiguous tothe wall surface 14 when attached thereto but is slightly spaced fromthe wall surface 14 by the channel-shaped braces 42 and 44 that aredisposed flush with the wall surface 14.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, the vertical member 28 is square-shaped andincludes a flat upper walkway supporting surface 50 for supportingthereon a walkway 52 that is preferably either a 12 foot by 8 inch or 12foot by 12 inch walkway. After each safety rail post 26 has been slidonto the respective stanchion 18, positioned at the desired height andthen locked in place by the insertion of the locking pin 40 through theholes 20 and apertures 38, the walkway 52 can be laid upon the uppersupporting surface 50 of each vertical member 28 of each safety railpost 26. The walkway 52 is of sturdy, lightweight metal construction sothat it can readily support up to 550 pounds, and can be easily lifted,positioned and moved by only one worker.

If the worker is to be working six feet or more above the ground surface24, OSHA requires an additional safety feature, and the additionalsafety feature includes a handrail 54. The handrail 54 includes handrailuprights 56, and each upright or post 56 has an upper end and anopposite lower end, with the lower end being insertable or receivablewithin the end socket 36 of the safety rail post 26. At least twospaced-apart horizontally extending rails 58 are mounted to the uprights56 for protecting the worker and preventing the worker from falling offthe walkway 52.

FIG. 1 illustrates the safety parapet system 10 set up against the wallsurface 14 wherein level ground 24 surrounds the building structure 12.The safety rail posts 26 are located at the same height on eachstanchion 18 and the uprights 56 for the handrail 54 have been attachedto the end sockets 36 of the safety rail posts 26 for mounting of thehandrail 54. The walkway 52 is supported on the horizontal members 34 ofthe safety rail posts 26.

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates the assembly of the safety parapetsystem 10 and shows the alignment and drop in feature of the verticalmember 28 of the safety rail post 26 on the left of FIG. 2 onto thecorresponding stanchion 18. FIG. 3 illustrates the disposition of eachsafety rail post 26 on each respective stanchion 18 when the surroundingground 24 is level. The screws 48 that are inserted through the upperbraces 42 for fastening into the studs 16 of the building structure 12are also shown. FIG. 4 illustrates the spacing of the stanchion 18 fromthe wall surface 14 of the building structure 12 and the lateralextension of the horizontal and angled members 34 and 32 of the safetyrail post 26. The handrail 54 has been mounted to the end socket 36 ofthe safety rail post 26. FIG. 5 illustrates the disposition of eachsafety rail post 26 on each stanchion 18 when the surrounding ground 60is not level and thus the foot 22 of one stanchion 18 is placed on theground 60 at a lower point than the foot 22 of the other stanchion 18.Since each safety rail post 26 is telescopically adjustable on eachrespective stanchion 18, and the safety rail posts 26 are independentlyadjustable with regard to each other, by the trial and error of slidingthe safety rail posts 26 up and down on the stanchions 18 the worker canposition both safety rail posts 26 at the same height and then lock themin place even if one stanchion 18 rests lower on the ground than theother stanchion 18 thereby allowing the safety parapet system 10 to beset up on uneven ground 60 such as shown in FIG. 5.

It should be understood that while a certain preferred embodiment ofthis invention has been shown and described, numerous modifications,alterations and variations are possible and practicable, the inventionis not to be limited except insofar as such limitations are included inthe following claims and allowable functional equivalents thereof.

1. A safety parapet system for placement against the wall of a buildingstructure and for securement to the studs of the building structure forsupporting a worker thereon, the safety parapet system, comprising: apair of stanchions for disposition adjacent and parallel to the wall ofthe building structure with each stanchion having a foot for placementon the ground surface and a plurality of through holes spaced along thelength of the stanchion; a pair of safety rail posts with each safetyrail post slidably disposed on each respective stanchion for selectivetelescopic adjustment thereon so that the height of each safety railpost can be set at the same location on each stanchion; each safety railpost including laterally extending members that are interconnected attheir distal ends; a locking pin for locking the safety rail post to thestanchion after the desired height of the safety rail post isdetermined; a walkway for removable placement upon the laterallyextending members of both safety rail posts for supporting the workerthereon; a handrail capable of removable securement to the distal endsof the laterally extending members of the safety rail posts for use ifthe worker is located six feet or more above the ground surface; andeach safety rail post capable of selective and independent telescopicadjustment on the respective stanchion so that the safety rail posts canbe set at the same height even if the ground surface is uneven and thefoot of one stanchion is located lower on the uneven ground surface thanthe foot of the other stanchion.
 2. The safety parapet system of claim 1wherein each safety rail post includes a vertical member and thevertical member having a channel through which the stanchion extendsthereby allowing for the slidable telescopic adjustment of the safetyrail post on the stanchion.
 3. The safety parapet system of claim 2wherein the vertical member of each safety rail post includes at leastone aperture that can be aligned with the through holes of the stanchionso that the locking pin can be inserted through the vertical member andthe stanchion for locking the safety rail post to the stanchion.
 4. Thesafety parapet system of claim 3 wherein the laterally extending membersof the safety rail post include a horizontal member and an angled memberinterconnected at their respective distal ends.
 5. The safety parapetsystem of claim 4 wherein the horizontal member and the angled memberare interconnected to each other at their respective distal ends for anend socket.
 6. The safety parapet system of claim 5 wherein thehorizontal member includes a flat upper walkway supporting surface forplacement thereon of the walkway.
 7. The safety parapet system of claim6 wherein each safety rail post includes an upper brace and a lowerbrace with both braces extending transverse to the stanchion andabutting the wall when the stanchion is secured to the studs of thebuilding structure.
 8. The safety parapet system of claim 7 wherein thehandrail includes at least two spaced-apart handrail uprights with eachupright removably insertable into the end socket of each safety railpost.
 9. The safety parapet system of claim 8 wherein the handrailincludes at least two rails that extend between and are attached to thehandrail uprights for preventing the worker from falling off thewalkway.
 10. A safety parapet system, comprising: a pair of stanchionsfor securement to the wall surface of a building structure with eachstanchion having a foot that rests upon the ground surface and aplurality of through holes spaced along the length of the stanchion; apair of safety rail posts with each safety rail post capable of slidabletelescopic adjustment on the respective stanchions so that the safetyrail posts can be set level with each other whether the stanchions aredisposed on even or uneven ground; each safety rail post includinglaterally extending members that are interconnected at their respectivedistal ends; a locking pin for locking the safety rail post to thestanchion after the position of the safety rail post has beendetermined; a walkway for removable placement upon the laterallyextending members of the safety rail posts for supporting the workerthereon; a handrail for removable securement to the distal ends of thelaterally extending members of the safety rail posts for use if theworker is located six feet or more above the ground surface; and eachsafety rail post capable of selective and independent telescopicadjustment on their respective stanchions so that the safety rail postscan be set at the same level despite the stanchions being disposed on anuneven ground surface wherein the foot of one stanchion rests on theground surface at a position that is lower than the foot of the otherstanchion.
 11. The safety parapet system of claim 10 wherein each safetyrail post includes a vertical member and the vertical member having achannel for receiving therein the stanchion so that the safety rail postis capable of slidable telescopic adjustment thereon.
 12. The safetyparapet system of claim 11 wherein the vertical member of each safetyrail post includes a pair of aligned apertures that can be aligned withthe through holes on the stanchion so that the locking pin can beinserted through the vertical member and the stanchion for locking thesafety rail post at the desired height on the stanchion.
 13. The safetyparapet system of claim 12 wherein the laterally extending members ofthe safety rail post include a horizontal member and an angled memberthat are interconnected at their distal ends.
 14. The safety parapetsystem of claim 13 wherein the horizontal member includes a flat upperwalkway supporting surface for receiving and supporting thereon thewalkway.
 15. The safety parapet system of claim 14 wherein each safetyrail post includes an upper brace and a lower brace with both bracessecured to and extending transverse to the vertical member andcontiguous with the wall surface when the stanchion is mounted to thebuilding structure.
 16. The safety parapet system of claim 15 whereinthe handrail includes at least two spaced-apart handrail uprights witheach upright removably insertable into the end socket of each respectivesafety rail post.
 17. The safety parapet system of claim 16 wherein thehandrail includes at least two spaced-apart rails that extend betweenand are attached to the handrail uprights for preventing the worker fromfalling off the walkway.